Latch.



PATBNTED 00T. ao, 1906.4

D. GAssBLs.

LATCH.

APPLIoATIoN FIL-gn JAN. 27

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UNITED STATES" PATENT oEEIGE.

DAVID CASSELS, OF PORTGVE LA` PRAIRIE, MANITOBA, l l l LATCH. I

Specification'of Letters Patent. p

Patented ocaso, 1906.

. To *all whom it may con/cern:

vBe it known that I, DAVID CAssELs, a citil zen of Canada residing at Portage la Prairie,

V inthe Provinceof Manitoba and Dominion of mani ulated.

Canada, have invented new anduseful .lm-

provement-s, in Latches,l of which the follow! '1n 'is a specification.

y invention pertains to improvements in latches; and it has for its object to provide a latch designed more particularly for use in connection with a ate arfd constructed with a view of effectua y resist-ing the efforts of horses, cows, and other stock to open the gate, as well as to preclude opening of the gate when the same is shaken or otherwise Ot er advantageousfeatures of the invenf tion will be'fully appreciated from the followlatch constituting the present and preferred embodiment of my invention as the same appears when its sliding and swinging member 1s positioned to secure a gate in its closed position. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l and illustrating the sliding and swinging member of the latch in the position which it is caused to assume lprecedent to being disengaged from the keeper-loop. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken in the plane indicated by the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, andL Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the s iding and swinging member of the latch removed. d

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all. of the views `of the drawings, referring tol which A is so much of a gate as is necessary to illustrate the application of the sliding and swinging member of my novel latch.

B is a post or other suitable stationary support arranged adjacent to the swinging end ofthe gate.

C is the keeper-loop of my improved latch. and D is the sliding and swinging member thereof. The keeper-loop C is disposed horizontally and is carried by a body-plate E, which. in turn is screwed or otherwise fixed with res ect to the stationary support B.

' The s iding and swinging member D coml prises a body portion 0 having a lateral hanbody a, with reference to the loop or'eye c, and a hook e. at the op osite side of the loo d, with reference to the ody a. The said s id- -ing and swinging member DI is preferably connected to the gate Ain the manner illustratedthat is to say, through the medium of a loop f, similar to the before-described keeper-loop C, which Yloop f loosely extends through the loop or eye c of the member D and is carried by a body-plate g, which is screwed to or otherwise fixed on the gate. The sliding and swinging member D of the latch is shown 1n Fig. l in its closedposition, and it will be readily apparent that the said member cannot be disengaged and removed from the keeper-loop C by merely lifting the member, this because the bight of the loop d will bring up against one end of the said keeper-loop C. This will be appreciated as an Important advantage when It is remembered that on many farms there are petl horses and cows which'are able to raise the swinging members of latches, and thereby open gates. With my novel latch it is first necessary to swing the member D upwardly until the bight of the loop d brings up against one end of the keeper-loop C and then move. the member D endwise to the left, Fig. 2, until the hook e as a whole is above and in alinement with the keeper-loop C, and then swing the said member D downwardly to carry the hook e through and out of enga ement with the keeper-loop C. With t 's done the gate is entirely disconnected from the sup ort B and may then be swung open.

It wi l be gathered from the foregoing that the three movements of the member D necessary to disconnect'the said member from the keeper-loop C are beyond the mental grasp of an animal, and hence there is no liability of the member D being disengaged and the gate opened by the efforts of a horse, cow, or

.D will not suffice to ('isengage the said member from the keeper-loo C, anf.l consequently there is no liability o the gate being unlatched by shaking or other manipulation thereof.

When the gate A is closed and it is desired to secure the same in such position through the mefium of my improvements, the member D is swung upwart ly to carry the hook e through the keeper-loop C. Then when the free end of the hook e is above the keeper-loop C and the bight of the loop d is IOO IIO

against the under side of one end of said keeper-loop the member D is moved endwise to the right, Fig. 2, and finally the free end of the member D is permitted to gravitate, when, as will be readily apparent, the bight of the hook e will bear on that end of the keeper-loop C remote from the point of connection of the member D.

fThe handle b permits of the member D being conveniently swung up an down and moved endwise, and I therefore prefer, to employ the said handle. I do not desire, however, to be understood as confining myself to the use of the handle, inasmuch as the same might obviously be dispensed with Without affecting my invention.

In addition to the security of my novel latch and the facility with which it may be closed and lopened it will be noted that the latch is simple and inexpensive in construction and at the same time well adapted to withstand the shocks and strains to which latches are ordinarily subjected, as well as exposure to the weather.

The sliding and swinging member D may be made in an'y manner and of any material compatible with the purpose of my invention, the member illustrated being shaped of wire of about the caliber shown.

`While designed more particularly for use in connection with farm-gates, my improvements may obviously be used to advantage on the doors of buildings and cars and the tail-gates of Wagons, as well as in other connections.

I claim- 1. In a latch, the combination with a keeper-loop; of a sliding and swinging member having a loop at one end and also having a hook at the opposite side of the said loop vith reference to the remainder of the mem- 2. In a latch, the combination with a hori- Zontal keeper-loop; of an endwise and vertically movable member having a depending loop at one end and also having a hook at the opposite side of the said loop with reference to the remainder ofthe member.

3. In a latch, the combination with a horizontal keeper-loop; of a vertically and endwise movable member having a handle at an intermediate point of its length and a closed loop or eye at one end and also havinfY a depending loop at its opposite end and a hook at the opposite side of the depending loop, with reference to the remainder of the member, and a loop resting loosely in the loop or eye of the member and adapted for attachment to a gate or the like.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Wit- IleSSGS.

DAVID CASSELS. Witnesses W. R. MCLAURIN, GEoReEpA. MUm. 

